In the present context, the term “absorbent article” refers to products that are placed against the skin of the wearer to absorb and contain body exudates, like urine, faeces and menstrual fluid. The present disclosure mainly refers to disposable absorbent articles, which means articles that are not intended to be laundered or otherwise restored or reused as an absorbent article after use.
Absorbent articles like pants-type diapers, sanitary pants or incontinence garments are supposed to have a comfortable fit about the wearer. For pants-type absorbent articles it is also desirable that the articles are capable of being pulled up and down over the hips of the wearer to allow the wearer or caregiver to easily put on and remove the article when it has been soiled. There is also a requirement that they should be soft and textile-like. The hygiene pants, in particular for adult users, should be discrete and they should not be bulky, at least in the areas outside the actual absorption unit.
Since they are disposable products, the cost aspect is very important. For cost reasons, the material layers included should be as thin as possible. At the same time, quality and strength requirements should be fulfilled. More particularly, such articles should combine properties of comfort and good fit for the user with strength, so that the article is comfortable to wear, yet its integrity is maintained when it is put on and during use. The hygiene pants, such as diaper pants, should of course resist wear during use. Hygiene pants are exposed to considerable stresses when being put on. Those regions which are most subject to stress, and where failure is most likely to occur, are those regions in which the constitutional elements of the absorbent article are joined together, i.e. the seams of the article. For example, side seams are formed by connecting the respective layers of the front and back parts of the diaper. These seams are commonly formed by welding. The hygiene pants are stretched when they are being pulled over the users' hips, and said seams are exposed to great stresses.
Hygiene pants of the type mentioned at the outset commonly have a cover in the form of an elastic laminate composed of an elastic film applied between two nonwoven layers. The weld seams on this type of elastic laminate are affected, in respect of the strength of the seams, by the material properties and the build-up of the laminate. One object of elastic covers in the form of an elastic film between two nonwoven layers is to give the cover optimal elastic properties at the same time as the fibres in these nonwoven layers give the cover a soft textile feel. The structure of the laminate should therefore be configured such that the desired elastic stretching of the cover is not impeded by the nonwoven layers.
International Application WO 2006/093444 A1 discloses disposable hygiene pants comprising elastic web material, in which the side edges (side-seams) which join the front and back parts of the article are welded and reinforced by means of non-woven strips.